


Unfinished Business

by SeraphJewel



Category: The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: Family Feels, Father-Daughter Relationship, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-23
Updated: 2017-07-23
Packaged: 2018-12-05 23:58:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 535
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11588826
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SeraphJewel/pseuds/SeraphJewel
Summary: Inspired by the series finale. John Gilbert waits to see his daughter again.





	Unfinished Business

_Disclaimer: I don't own Vampire Diaries or any of the characters. I originally posted this on my tumblr page._

 

Time was irrelevant in this place, yet sometimes John thought he could still feel it moving. Maybe it was just latent concerns he was unable to let go of. "Unfinished business", if you will. It was as good an explanation as any. None of them tried to pull him out of it. They were waiting too, after all. They were simply doing so with lighter hearts.

When John first arrived, he was greeted with warmth. He and his brother clung onto each other with more than a few tears shed between them. Later the two of them took some time alone to fill in the gaps between the last time they saw each other and now. The story was taken with more acceptance than John probably deserved, but that was his brother: always loving him, no matter what. His sister-in-law gave him a hug and even Jenna didn't seem entirely unhappy to see him.

They understood better than most why he felt restless and unresolved. Yet John couldn't bring himself to join them every time they went on the porch to share drinks and laugh over old memories. He preferred peering out the window on the chance he'd be the first to see her walking toward the house. Not the first to greet her- that right belonged to them- but to see and know she was there... Surely he earned that much.

John could hear them outside now, bottles clinking on the table and his brother laughing at something Meredith said. So many of John's happy memories were like this. He closed his eyes and let their merriment sweep him up. When he opened them again, his breath caught and his fingers twitched on the window curtains.

"Elena." Somehow her name made it past the emotions welling up in his throat. He leaned in, eager to watch her walk closer to the house.

He suddenly thought of the first time he held her as a baby. All parents likely did this in similar situations. John remembered how overwhelmed he felt, how even back then he understood she needed him to protect her. Even if that meant handing her off to someone much more capable. He thought of all the times with her he chose to miss so she could grow up safe and loved.

So she could have this moment now, being welcomed home after a long and happy life.

He opened the door and their eyes met. The joy on her face when she saw him wasn't what he expected. He smiled and went to her, the two of them opening to embrace each other. He squeezed her and felt her nuzzle a little into his shoulder. Then she tilted her head up a little so only he would hear her next words:

"Thank you, Dad."

Later they would sit together and she would tell him all about her life. For now those words were enough. She knew what he did for her and why, and more than forgave him for missteps along the way.

John leaned into the family embrace, feeling peace at last.


End file.
